Process

Each coaching package is tailored to our clients’ specifications and is designed to enable you to become the most compelling, distinctive applicant you can be. Below, you’ll find the components of the law school application process that we include in our packages, and details about how our coaches help you through every step.

1 The LSAT

If you haven’t taken the LSAT yet, don’t panic! The first thing we’ll do is pair you with one of our expert LSAT tutors, who will design a customized syllabus, based on a diagnostic test, which will guide you through to getting your best possible score on test day. For more information on how we approach the LSAT, visit our LSAT tutoring page.

2 Initial consultation

In your first meeting, you and your coach will review your LSAT, GPA, and your academic and personal background, so that you can make smart decisions about which schools to target. Then, your coach will help you do a preliminary brainstorm for your essay, or respond to your draft, if you already have one. This time is also typically dedicated to creating a timeline for your work together.

3 Personal Statement

The application to law school centers around a personal statement that highlights your personal, professional, and academic strengths. Next to your LSAT and GPA, this is the most significant component of your application. Once you’ve established a list of schools, you and your coach will begin work on your personal statement. Using our structured process - including guided brainstorming, outlining, and drafting - you will develop a compelling, effective essay.

4 Letters of Recommendation

At Cambridge Coaching, we recommend that you sign up with LSAC and seek out letters of recommendation at the very beginning of your application process - even before taking the LSAT. But if you haven’t done this yet, don’t worry! Your coach will help you determine whom to ask for letters and ensure that your letters are strong. Additionally, recommenders often appreciate it when you provide a summary of your interaction with them. Your summary can go a long way toward ensuring that the recommendation will be customized, detail-rich (rather than generic) and correspond effectively with your application.

4 Resume

Your resume should complement your essays rather than duplicate them. We help you turn your resume into a crisp representation of your experiences that resonates with the broader strategy of your application.

5

Explanatory Addenda

Most admissions committees believe that candidates should be able to expand on aspects of their candidacy not represented in the standard materials. We can help you construct a diversity statement, a statement of interest (the very important “Why X Law School” essay), or an explanation of academic/LSAT performance. Addenda are particularly essential for applicants who need to clarify a disciplinary, legal, or other issue - but while they can also provide any application a crucial boost, they can do significant damage to an application if misused. Our coaches will help you decide whether you need to include these, and if so, how best to present them.

6

The Overview

For clients who sign up for our Comprehensive Package, the overview is performed by a new coach who has never seen your application before and who reads it as an admissions officer would. It can take place at any point in the process, but most clients prefer to use this service when their application is almost done. The overview covers the entirety of your application and provides an opportunity to perfect your message. For clients who have not worked with us previously, the overview represents a cost-effective way to get objective feedback on the big picture.

When the coach has finished performing the overview, you will receive a written assessment covering:

1. Your essay. We comment on the structure and substance of your law school essay, and suggest revisions for improving positioning and tone. In particular, we focus on your broad argument for admission and how your essay contributes to or detracts from it.

2. Resume. We critique the content and presentation of the resume, but more importantly, we offer an assessment of how the resume reinforces and supplements the argument presented in your essay.

7

Wait List Letters

If you've been wait-listed, you have an opportunity to submit additional information clarifying your continued interest and offering new information regarding your candidacy. We can help you respond to bad news in a productive way.